Microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses in biological samples are hard to detect at low concentrations and usually require long induction or incubation times before further analysis can be performed. Currently, the identification of microorganisms in biological samples is a time-consuming process. For bacterial detection, body fluid samples must be incubated for long periods of time before any bacterial cultures can be positively identified. Methods that can detect bacteria at ultralow concentrations without time-consuming incubation or amplification processes thus have certain advantages in clinical diagnosis, food safety, biodefense, and/or environmental monitoring applications.
Currently, the identification of bacteria in urine is a time-consuming process. Urine samples must be incubated for days before positive identification of any bacterial cultures can be identified.